How to Make the Truth ‘Stick’

Addressed to graduates of a Bible instruction class transitioning from junior high to high school, this message tackles the critical challenge of maintaining spiritual vitality during times of transition. Chuck Swindoll begins by highlighting a "crisis of ignorance" in modern society, citing a general knowledge quiz given by a college professor which revealed that students believed "Socrates was an American Indian chieftain" and "Christ was born in the 16th century" [4–5]. Swindoll argues that spiritual ignorance is equally dangerous, as it leaves believers unable to give a defense (apologia) for the hope within them [11–12]. Turning to the life of Ezra—a scribe who transitioned from Babylon to Jerusalem—Swindoll uses Ezra 7:10 as a roadmap for making biblical truth "stick" in a believer's life. He outlines four essential steps found in the text:

1. Make a Personal Commitment: Just as Ezra "set his heart," believers must make up their own minds to walk with God, rather than relying on their parents' faith [24–25].
2. Become a Loyal Student: One must move beyond "prepared meals" from teachers and become a self-feeding student of the Scriptures [26–27].
3. Put Truth into Action: Swindoll challenges listeners to be "doers of the word" (James 1), specifically addressing the pervasive issue of academic cheating and the need for absolute honesty [29–36].
4. Share it with Others: Truth sticks best when it is passed on, just as one learns a sport like water skiing most thoroughly when teaching it to someone else [36–37].

The message concludes with encouragement for teachers and parents, promising that the "log" of scripture they have tossed onto the "frozen lake" of a teenager's life will eventually sink in and transform them [16–17].

Message Key Facts:

• The "No Illusions" Quiz: Swindoll cites a Newsweek article by Professor Jamie O'Neal, who gave an 86-question quiz to his college class. The results showed shocking ignorance, with students identifying Ralph Nader as a baseball player, Charles Darwin as the inventor of gravity, and Camp David as being located in Israel [3–6].
• The Log on the Frozen Lake: To encourage discouraged teachers and parents, Swindoll uses the analogy of tossing a log onto a frozen lake in winter. It sits separately on the ice for a time, but when the spring thaw (maturity/pressure) comes, the log sinks and becomes part of the water. In the same way, biblical teaching eventually permeates a young person's life [16–17].
• Ezra as a Model of Transition: Ezra is presented as a parallel to a graduating student: he was moving from a place of comfort (Babylon) to a place of challenge (Jerusalem), he was a student of the Word, and the "good hand of the Lord" was upon him [20–22].
• The R.C. Sproul Confession: To illustrate the need for honesty, Swindoll shares a story from theologian R.C. Sproul. In college, Sproul helped a friend cheat on a Greek exam. They were caught when the professor noticed they were the only two students with the exact same wrong answers. The professor showed mercy, leading Sproul to resolve never to cheat again [32–34].
• The Mirror Analogy: Drawing from James 1, Swindoll compares reading the Bible to looking in a mirror. It is futile to see the "mess" (sin) in the mirror and walk away without fixing it. Truth only sticks when it leads to action [30–31].
• Teaching Reinforces Learning: Swindoll uses the illustration of learning to water ski. He thought he knew how to ski until he had to teach another family; the act of instruction deepened his own understanding of the skill.

Message References:

• Ezra 7:10: The central text outlining the four steps: setting the heart, studying the law, practicing it, and teaching it.
• 1 Peter 3:13–16: The command to always be ready to make a defense (apologia) for the hope that is within you.
• James 1:22–25: The warning to be doers of the word and not merely hearers who delude themselves, using the analogy of a mirror.
• Daniel 1:8: Referenced as a parallel to Ezra, where Daniel "made up his mind" not to defile himself.
• 1 Corinthians 15:58: A promise to teachers that their labor is "not in vain in the Lord."
• Isaiah 55:10–11: The promise that God's word will not return void but will accomplish its purpose.

Message Speaker:

Pastor Chuck Swindoll